Common questions
Answers, including the awkward ones
This industry has a transparency problem. I would rather put the answers where you can read them without having to ask me first.
Do I even need an advisor?
Saving and distributing are different problems. You solved the first one by being disciplined for thirty years. The second one is a sequence of decisions about taxes, timing, and the order you withdraw in, most of which you cannot undo once you make them. I earn my keep on that second problem, and you tend to see it in the taxes you never pay rather than the returns you earn.
A Western New York family within about five years of retirement or already retired, usually with $2M to $10M saved, and most of it sitting in a 401(k) or rollover IRA. They did the saving well. They want help turning it into income without handing an unnecessary share to the IRS.
I am one person who specializes in one thing: tax-efficient retirement income for families near or in retirement. I cannot be all things to all people and do not pretend to be. You will talk to me every time, not to whichever advisor your household is assigned this quarter.
How you work
I am legally required to act in your best interest at all times, across every recommendation and every conversation. Brokers work under a different rule, Regulation Best Interest, which applies when they recommend something and leaves more room for compensation to shape the advice. As a fee-only fiduciary I take no commissions and sell no products, so there is no version of any recommendation that pays me more.
Anyone can call themselves a financial planner. The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ marks require a full course of study, a comprehensive exam, three years of relevant experience, and agreement to the CFP Board's Code of Ethics. It is a minimum competency standard for people handling your life savings.
Yes, and I prefer to. Tax planning that never reaches the person filing your return stays a nice document and nothing more. If you do not have a CPA or an estate attorney, I will tell you when your situation warrants one.
Not necessarily, though many clients like to. My office is on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, and I meet virtually just as often. Sticking to Western New York families is a choice I made on purpose.
Your money and your safety
At Charles Schwab, in accounts registered in your name. I never take custody of client assets. Schwab holds the money, sends your statements, and reports to the IRS. I have authority to manage the accounts and to deduct the agreed fee, and you can view every position and transaction directly at Schwab whenever you want.
A fair question to ask a solo advisor, and one you should ask any of us. I maintain a written business continuity plan with another registered advisory firm, so another advisor picks up your accounts and your plan the same week. I will walk you through the details before you sign anything.
Fees
As a fee-only advisor, I only get paid by you, never through commissions or product sales. I sell no insurance and no investment products, and I take no referral payments or third-party incentives. My fee ranges from 0.50% to 1.20% of assets under management, with a minimum annual fee of $12,000, and the percentage falls as the assets grow.
The fee covers all of my services: proactive tax planning, investment management, coordinated withdrawal strategies, ongoing adjustments, the many little conversations in between, and on-demand decision-making when life happens. It also covers Social Security and Medicare timing, and the estate and beneficiary work alongside your attorney. There is no separate planning charge and no per-meeting billing.
Yes. I work with households holding more than $1 million in savings and investments, not counting real estate. The $12,000 minimum fee lines up with that: on $1,000,000 it works out to 1.2 percent, the top of my range, and the percentage falls from there as the balance grows. Below $1 million my fee is hard to justify, and a planner who bills hourly or by the project will serve you better. I would rather tell you that now than after you have spent time on it.
Potentially. My minimum annual fee is $12,000, but the exact amount depends on the scope and complexity of your financial situation. My percentage-based fee gradually decreases as the assets I manage increase. In some circumstances, we may instead mutually agree on a fixed annual retainer that is fair to both sides. Regardless of the structure, I encourage clients to focus on the total dollar amount they are paying relative to the value they receive.
Yes, I expect clients to move their assets to me to oversee. To properly coordinate retirement income, tax strategies, risk management, and investment allocation, I need the complete picture and the ability to act on it. Split across two or three advisors, nobody owns the sequence, and the tax planning is the first thing to fall through the gap.
Hiring an advisor should only make sense if the value you receive clearly exceeds the cost. For my clients, that value comes from more than just investment management. It includes proactive tax planning, coordinated withdrawal strategies, and thoughtful decision-making across every part of your financial life. Done well, this can lead to meaningful tax savings, fewer costly mistakes, and better long-term outcomes. But just as important are the intangible benefits: clarity, confidence, and time. You do not have to second-guess decisions, keep up with changing rules, or manage everything on your own. Ultimately, my role is to help you make smarter decisions with your money so you can focus on enjoying your life, not managing your retirement plan. The best way to determine whether it is worth it is to experience it firsthand, which is why the intro call and the retirement strategy session cost you nothing, and you keep the analysis whether you hire me or not.
Getting started
No. The first conversation is a 30-minute call at no cost, and there is no obligation attached to it. If I am not the right fit, I will tell you and point you toward someone who is.
No documents and no homework, but do bring a rough idea of what you own: the kinds of accounts you have and roughly how much is in each. Round numbers are fine. The call itself is a conversation about your situation and what you are trying to sort out. If we go further there will be real paperwork later, and I will tell you exactly what to gather.
No. Choosing who manages your life savings deserves more than one conversation. I build in time for you to think it over, and I would rather part as friends than have a client who felt rushed.
Eudaimonia, pronounced you-day-MOH-nia, is an ancient Greek term for human flourishing. It describes a life of meaning and purpose rather than a pile of money. It is a strange name for a wealth management firm, which is why I chose it.
Still have a question?
Ask it on a call. Thirty minutes, and no obligation on either side.